We custom design and make and hand finish cat and other whimsical chandeliers in New York, USA.

They are hand painted and had finished to order for fine homes and designers through out the US and Canada, the Carribean.

Please enjoy the cat information below reprinted from Wikipedia. We also have dogs, fox, frogs owls and other whisical lighting themes.

The artist sculptor is
Bill Huebbe , of Huebbe Designs, who is a very unique and original artist. Please visit
website if you would like more information about the man who sculpted these pieces.
Thanks for looking !!!

The Cat (Felis silvestris catus), also known as the Domestic Cat or House Cat to distinguish it from other felines, is a small carnivorous species of crepuscular mammal that is often valued by humans for its companionship and its ability to hunt vermin. It has been associated with humans for at least 9,500 years.^[3]

A skilled predator, the cat is known to hunt over 1,000 species for food. It is intelligent and can be trained to obey simple commands. Individual cats have also been known to learn to manipulate simple mechanisms, such as doorknobs. Cats use a variety of vocalizations and types of body language for communication, including mewing ("meow" or "miaow"), purring, hissing, growling, squeaking, chirping, clicking, and grunting.^[4] Cats are popular pets and are also bred and shown as registered pedigree pets. This hobby is known as the "Cat Fancy".

A study by the National Cancer Institute published in the journal Science says that all house cats are descended from a group of self-domesticating desert wildcats Felis silvestris lybica circa 10,000 years ago, in the Near East. All wildcat subspecies can interbreed, but domestic cats are all genetically contained within F. s. lybica ^[5]

Physiology

Size

Cats typically weigh between 2.5 and 7 kg (5.5–16 pounds); however, some breeds, such as the Maine Coon, can exceed 11.3 kg (25 pounds). Some have been known to reach up to 23 kg (50 pounds) due to overfeeding. Conversely, very small cats (less than 1.8 kg / 4.0 lb)^[6] have been reported.

Skin

Cats possess rather loose skin; this allows them to turn and confront a predator or another cat in a fight, even when it has a grip on them. This is also an advantage for veterinary purposes, as it simplifies injections.^[11] In fact, the life of cats with kidney failure can sometimes be extended for years by the regular injection of large volumes of fluid subcutaneously, which serves as an alternative to dialysis.^[12]^[13]

The particularly loose skin at the back of the neck is known as the scruff, and is the area by which a mother cat grips her kittens to carry them. As a result, cats tend to become quiet and passive when gripped there. This tendency often extends into adulthood, and can be useful when attempting to treat or move an uncooperative cat. However, since an adult cat is heavier than a kitten, a pet cat should never be carried by the scruff, but should instead have their weight supported at the rump and hind legs, and at the chest and front paws. Often (much like a small child) a cat will lie with its head and front paws over a person's shoulder, and its back legs and rump supported under the person's arm.

Senses

Cat senses are attuned for hunting. Cats have highly advanced hearing, eyesight, taste, and touch receptors, making the cat extremely sensitive among mammals. Cats' night vision is superior to humans although their vision in daylight is inferior. Humans and cats have a similar range of hearing on the low end of the scale, but cats can hear much higher-pitched sounds, up to 64 kHz, which is 1.6 octaves above the range of a human, and even one octave above the range of a dog.^[14] A domestic cat's sense of smell is about fourteen times as strong as a human's.^[15] To aid with navigation and sensation, cats have dozens of movable vibrissae (whiskers) over their body, especially their face. Due to a mutation in an early cat ancestor, one of two genes necessary to taste sweetness may have been lost by the cat family.^[16]

Domestication

In 2004, a grave was excavated in Cyprus that contained the skeletons, laid close to one another, of both a human and a cat. The grave is estimated to be 9,500 years old, pushing back the earliest known feline-human association significantly.^[3]^[42]^[43]

In captivity, indoor cats typically live 14 to 20 years, though the oldest-known cat lived to age 36.^[44] Domesticated cats tend to live longer if they are not permitted to go outdoors (reducing the risk of injury from fights or accidents and exposure to diseases) and if they are neutered. Some such benefits are: castrated male cats cannot develop testicular cancer, spayed female cats cannot develop ovarian cancer, and both have a reduced risk of mammary cancer.^[45]

Like some other domesticated animals, cats live in a mutualistic arrangement with humans. It is believed that the benefit of removing rats and mice from humans' food stores outweighed the trouble of extending the protection of a human settlement to a formerly wild animal, almost certainly for humans who had adopted a farming economy. Unlike the dog, which also hunts and kills rodents, the cat does not eat grains, fruits, or vegetables. A cat that is good at hunting rodents is referred to as a mouser.

In modern rural areas, farms often have dozens of semi-feral cats. Hunting in the barns and the fields, they kill and eat rodents that would otherwise spoil large parts of the grain crop. Many pet cats successfully hunt and kill rabbits, rodents, birds, lizards, frogs, fish, and large insects by instinct, but might not eat their prey. They may even present their kills, dead or maimed, to their humans, perhaps expecting them to praise or reward them, or possibly even to complete the kill and eat the mouse.

In modern urban areas, some people find feral and free-roaming pet cats annoying and intrusive. Unaltered cats can engage in persistent nighttime calling (termed caterwauling) and defecation or "marking" of private property. Indoor confinement of pets and TNR (trap, neuter, return) programs for feral cats can help; some people also use cat deterrents to discourage cats from entering their property.

Interaction with humans

Human attitudes toward cats vary widely. Some people keep cats for casual companionship as pets. Others go to great lengths to pamper their cats, sometimes treating them as if they were children. Cats are also bred and shown as registered pedigree pets, in a hobby known as the cat fancy.

When a cat bonds with its human guardian, the cat may, at times, display behaviors similar to that of a human. Such behavior may include a trip to the litter box before bedtime or snuggling up close to its companion in bed or on the sofa. Other such behavior includes mimicking sounds of the owner or using certain sounds the cat picks up from the human; sounds representing specific needs of the cat, which the owner would recognize, such as a specific tone of meow along with eye contact that may represent "I'm hungry." The cat may also be capable of learning to communicate with the human using non-spoken language or body language such as rubbing for affection (confirmation), facial expressions and making eye contact with the owner if something needs to be addressed (e.g., finding a bug crawling on the floor for the owner to get rid of).

Because of their small size, domesticated house cats pose almost no danger to adult humans — the main hazard is the possibility of infection (e.g., cat scratch disease, or, rarely, rabies) from a cat bite or scratch. Cats can also potentially inflict severe scratches or puncture an eye, though this is quite rare (although dogs have been known to be blinded by cats in fights, where the cat specifically and accurately targeted the eyes of the larger animal).

Cats rarely if ever injure children, although their claws are sharp and their play can be fairly rough. There is an old wives tale that cats can 'suck the breath' from babies, sometimes it is held that the cat is looking for milk. This is false.^[46] Still, keeping cats off of cots is probably wise, as a cat could theoretically accidentally smother a child by lying across its face. Cats also seem to have a behaviour where they will sleep right next to an ill person who is running a temperature.^{[citation
needed]}

Allergens

Allergic reactions to cat dander and/or cat saliva inspire one of the most common reasons people cite for disliking cats. Some humans who are allergic to cats—typically manifested by hay fever, asthma or a skin rash—quickly acclimate themselves to a particular animal and live comfortably in the same house with it, while retaining an allergy to cats in general.^[47] Many humans find the rewards of cat companionship outweigh the discomfort and problems associated with these allergens. Some cope with the problem by taking prescription allergy medicine, along with bathing their cats frequently (weekly bathing will eliminate about 90% of the cat dander present in the environment).

Trainability

Some owners seek to train their cat in performing tricks commonly exhibited by dogs, such as jumping, though this is rare. Individual cats have been known to learn to manipulate simple mechanisms, like sink faucets, by themselves or after prompting/encouraging. With effort and patience on the part of an owner, the average cat can usually be trained to at least obey simple commands such as "get off the furniture" or "come to dinner". In general though, the seeming intractability of the ordinary house cat to training has long inspired the simile "like herding cats", as a general expression to describe any situation with a stubborn or uncooperative learner.

Legs

Cats, like dogs, are digitigrades: they walk directly on their toes, the bones of their feet making up the lower part of the visible leg. Cats are capable of walking very precisely, because like all felines they directly register; that is, they place each hind paw (almost) directly in the print of the corresponding forepaw, minimizing noise and visible tracks. This also provides sure footing for their hind paws when they navigate rough terrain.

Unlike dogs and most mammals, cats walk by moving both legs on one side and then both legs on the other side. Most mammals move legs on alternate sides in sequence. Cats share this unusual gait with camels, giraffes, some horses ('pacers'), and a select few other mammals. There is no known connection between these animals which might explain this.

Like all members of family Felidae except the cheetah, cats have retractable claws. In their normal, relaxed position the claws are sheathed with the skin and fur around the toe pads. This keeps the claws sharp by preventing wear from contact with the ground and allows the silent stalking of prey. The claws on the forefeet are typically sharper than those on the hind feet.^[10] Cats can extend their claws voluntarily on one or more paws at will. They may extend their claws in hunting or self-defense, climbing, "kneading", or for extra traction on soft surfaces (bedspreads, thick rugs, etc.). It is also possible to make a cooperative cat extend its claws by carefully pressing both the top and bottom of the paw. The curved claws may become entangled in carpet or thick fabric, which may cause injury if the cat is unable to free itself.

Most cats have five claws on their front paws, and four or five on their rear paws. Because of an ancient mutation, however, domestic cats are prone to polydactyly, and may have six or seven toes. The fifth front claw (the dewclaw) is in a more proximal position than those of the other claws. More proximally, there is a protrusion which appears to be a sixth "finger". This special feature of the front paws, on the inside of the wrists, is the carpal pad, also found on the paws of big cats and dogs. It has no function in normal walking, but is thought to be an anti-skidding device used while jumping.

Skeleton

Cats have 7 cervical vertebrae like almost all mammals, 13 thoracic vertebrae (humans have 12), 7 lumbar vertebrae (humans have 5), 3 sacral vertebrae like most mammals (humans have 5 because of their bipedal posture), and, except for Manx cats, 22 or 23 caudal vertebrae (humans have 3 to 5, fused into an internal coccyx). The extra lumbar and thoracic vertebrae account for the cat's enhanced spinal mobility and flexibility, compared with humans. The caudal vertebrae form the tail, used by the cat as a counterbalance to the body during quick movements. Cats also have free-floating clavicle bones, which allows them to pass their body through any space into which they can fit their head.^[7]

Mouth

Cats have highly specialized teeth for the tearing of meat. The premolar and first molar together compose the carnassial pair on each side of the mouth, which efficiently functions to shear meat like a pair of scissors. While this is present in canids, it is highly developed in felines. The cat's tongue has sharp spines, or papillae, useful for retaining and ripping flesh from a carcass. These papillae are small backward-facing hooks that contain keratin which also assist in their grooming.

Ears

Thirty-two individual muscles in each ear allow for a manner of directional hearing:^[9] a cat can move each ear independently of the other. Because of this mobility, a cat can move its body in one direction and point its ears in another direction. Most cats have straight ears pointing upward. Unlike dogs, flap-eared breeds are extremely rare. (Scottish Folds are one such exceptional genetic mutation.) When angry or frightened, a cat will lay back its ears, to accompany the growling or hissing sounds it makes. Cats also turn their ears back when they are playing, or to listen to a sound coming from behind them. The angle of a cat's ears is an important clue to their mood.

Skin

GUY DÉCOR; Oh, for a Chandelier That Swings

By RICK MARIN

Published: March 17, 2005

CHANDELIERS are like babies. Once you have one, or want one, you notice them everywhere: in fashiony shop windows, hipster clubs, the Park Avenue apartments of cosmetic dentists.

On my recent visit to Paris, there they were again: aglitter in the elegant dining salon of our hotel, the Crillon, and in Baccarat's new headquarters, where Philippe Starck has submerged one in a giant water tank. At the New York International Gift Fair at the Javits Convention Center last month they were hawked from virtually every other stall. Even Urban Outfitters sells a plastic one called Champagne Bubble for $20.

So as with babies and much else in life, what starts as a deeply personal quest turns out to be hardly original at all. It's a trend.

''Chandeliers are becoming hotter daily,'' said Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan, an interior designer who runs a home furnishings Web log called Apartmenttherapy.com. ''It's all part of a general shift away from modern multiple around-the-room light sources to the one central light.''

What killed the chandelier was the popularization of track and recessed lighting about 30 years ago, said Murray Moss of the SoHo design store Moss. ''The history of light was about the source,'' he said. ''Then a more invisible quality became the focus.'' Chandeliers ''left our consciousness until about five years ago,'' he added. ''After 30 years we started to miss the magic of the source.''

My own desire for an upside-down version of something that could have adorned Liberace's piano arose from the renovation and rethinking of my historically severe minimalist bachelor digs into a feminized family abode. As Dr. Seuss might have written, if he'd done a book on decorating, the pad was going from cad to dad. In place of three sperm-shaped Flos pendant lights over what was once a steel-top cocktail bar would be a chandelier. But which one?

The quest began.

On the Bowery's lighting strip you can find any kind of chandelier you want, as long as you're lighting a Chinese restaurant. They don't shy away from gaudy there. This, or ABC Carpet & Home on lower Broadway, is the default source for old-fashioned chandeliers, but I was thinking strictly mod and minimalist. Until I saw some Murano chandeliers at Oggi Lighting on the Bowery in colors like aubergine and peach and caught myself flirting, on the design down-low, with these florid, fruity 19th-century confections.

Not that there's anything wrong with that, Mr. Gillingham-Ryan assured me. ''The good thing about chandeliers is that they are coming back more as furniture than light,'' he said. ''This is why you are thinking about them, because you are recognizing a new cool thing that could take part in a room. It's O.K. to be straight and feel this way about them.''

As Steven Gambrel, a decorator with a masculine, even muscular, style, pointed out, ''Murano chandeliers are early modernist versions of the traditional chandelier.'' Mr. Gambrel happily adapts traditional French crystal to contemporary décor. ''They're no longer seen as stuffy or busy now,'' he said. ''Because they're furnishing more clean-lined rooms. This is a place to introduce some beautiful detail.''

If an apartment is already ''built out,'' or finished, when he gets to it, he has an electrician install a junction box or two in the center of the ceiling. He hinted that one chandelier over the dining table is a bit of a cliché, then politely backed off when I indicated that was my plan. Two chandeliers over two dining tables is more ''casual,'' he said.

Excellent point. My wife and I didn't put a ''J box'' in the ceiling because, during construction, we couldn't decide exactly where the dining table would go. Our solution was to put the box high on a wall, which meant that to suspend a chandelier we'd have to run wire or chain from the wall to a hook in the ceiling. Tacky, but what else to do?

Scouring vintage shops, I came across Kerson 20th Century Design on West 24th Street. The owner, Michael Wilson, is something of a chandelier specialist. His wares run from a century-old Austrian model whose exposed bulbs showed off the newfangled technology of electricity to 1950's Sputnik shapes, 60's swirls and one disturbing relic of 80's Memphis.

I coveted an elegant copper-and-brass number that he said had hung in a Paris boutique in the 1950's. ''Warm metals'' are back, Mr. Wilson said. ''Copper and brass and 24-karat plate.'' Alas, it was $14,000.

The quest continued.

ABC Carpet has no fewer than a dozen hanging outside its entrance, but all in the antiquey vein. Las Venus, the retro-chic purveyor on the second floor of ABC, has a few mod Lenny Kravitzian ones by an American company called Camer, ranging from $1,500 to $5,000. But their densely hung crystal cylinders would block too much of our view, so I ruled them out. One advantage of a traditionally shaped chandelier, with its inverted parabolas curving outward from the stem, is being able to see through it.

At Moss I'd come close to buying a 40-inch-diameter white fiberglass globe by the Dutch avant-gardist Moooi with the see-through quality of spun sugar. Then it showed up in the window of a hair salon across from my wife's office, making it seem more après-garde than avant.

Speaking of enlightened Dutchmen, Moss has an exhibition in its new wing devoted to Tord Boontje, whose frilly, romantic chandeliers helped propel the current craze. The show (through Sunday) includes Blossom, a creation festooned with light-emitting diodes and Swarovski crystal, for $25,000. Downstairs in the store is Ingo Maurer's 1997 chandelier Zettel'z 5, which has 31 printed and 49 blank paper sheets clipped to it (a design popular enough to be sold also by Design Within Reach).

Mr. Moss said Mr. Maurer is one of the few designers who stuck with the chandelier through the dark ages of the 70's, 80's and 90's. Mr. Maurer has clearly thought a lot about chandeliers. ''For many years progressive, modern, thinking people disliked them, since they were a symbol for conservative thinking and imperialism,'' he said. Today, he added, the association with conservatism has gone, and people enjoy them for what they are: ''sparkling fun objects.''

For his part Mr. Moss returned to the ''magic of the source'' five years ago for an exhibition of 18th-century chinaware. Over a table setting for 32 he hung Cellula, a chandelier made of baroque crystals dangling from a stainless steel tube and rod designed by Nunzia Carbone and Tiziano Vudafieri in 1996. He bought just five of them, assuming they were too out of favor to sell. But he has sold about a hundred a year, he said.

''It was always a romantic object,'' Mr. Moss said, attributing the chandelier's resurgence to a reaction against minimalism. ''It allows for some emotional, evocative qualities in a high-tech environment.''

But in the early 2000's another, inevitable, expression of the trend is appearing: the ironic chandelier. Mr. Starck's in black crystal for Baccarat looks like a prop from Al Pacino's satanic lair in ''The Devil's Advocate.'' Matthew Dilling, a Brooklyn-based lighting designer, makes another with the cartoon silhouette of a traditional chandelier, in two shades of neon.

''If the Road Runner had a chandelier dropped on him, it would look like this,'' said Mr. Dilling, whose company is called Lite Brite Neon. The chandelier has gone from having no ''street cred,'' he added, to being ''acceptably cool.''

Before it appeared in the window of Jeffrey, the meatpacking district clothier, the Lite Brite chandelier was sold at Future Perfect, a design shop in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, whose owner, Dave Alhadeff, admits to a fetish for ''chandys.'' They are, he says, ''a way to change the way a room looks with one item.''

One item. Haunting words to a design perfectionist. Between not-modern-enough and postmodern madness lies. Then a British company called Pepper-mint came across on my screen. Its Palazzo T4 renders a Venetian chandelier in flat, not rounded, acrylic parts, both clear and a pale blue, for about $570.

''In recent years I have been exploring how forms can be reduced to their essence,'' said Patricia Adler, Pepper-mint's designer. She uses tea-light size candles, not bulbs, to light her chandelier. What could be more romantic, more evocative, more chandy?

Even better, it hangs from an adjustable cable. No J-box necessary, so no tacky chain looping from the wall. And you haven't seen it anywhere.

Now you will.

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R

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Physiology

Size

Skin

Senses

Domestication

Interaction with humans

Allergens

Trainability

Legs

Skeleton

Mouth

Ears

Skin

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GUY DÉCOR; Oh, for a Chandelier That Swings